Joliet West is home to many records, success stories and many talented students. Roberto Amador, senior at Joliet West is one of those talented students. Amador recently broke the squat of 555 lbs, originally held by Brian Budzinski back in the 80’s, by getting 600 lbs. This talented athlete is pleased with his accomplishment and told me, “It’s just a first for me.”

Lifting is the new hoo-rah that many teen guys have been getting into. Lifting, benching, and squatting seems to be the only thing on their minds. It wasn’t until his freshman year when Amador became one those dedicated lifters. He started wrestling at West his freshman and sophomore year when he decided to get into bodybuilding. His coach invited him to his first competition and Amador smashed the records. At the age of 15 he broke the Illinois record of 405 lbs for dead-lift.

After that, he began to really get into lifting. With the help of his father and Brian Budzinski, he improved his body physique to reach his goal. By April 2013, Amador had already took first at World’s for lifting in Los Angeles for a 420 lb dead-lift, 500 lb squat, and a 350 lb bench press.

When asked if he had any advice for lifters/aspiring lifters, Amador stated, “It’s really just a lot of commitment. It’s putting your mind to it and saying you can do this. It really is a game against yourself and your mind, you really have to push yourself and channel your strength not only mentally, but physically as well; In and outside of the gym.”

Amador is currently continuing to progress and become an even better lifter as the days move forward and even has sponsors. He is sponsored by Clique Nutrition in Joliet, as well as Gorilla Strong. They help him with application processes for competitions and give him apparel and supplements. He has a competition in Iowa coming up in June for the United Powerlifting Association and he plans to represent himself well like he always does.

He also has plans for the future.

“I definitely want to be a coach and get certified as a personal trainer. I want to give back to the youth and open up a gym in the near future and give back to the community. I want to get all the kids off of the streets, away from drugs, and show them a constructive environment where they can go and perfect something with themselves.”

Roberto Amador has already made his mark, but continues to inspire others by striving for more.